Precipitation in the past week: 0.24" (finally! And looking forward to more
this week!!)

What’s up on the farm?

It actually rained on the
farm this week. On Sunday, thunder rumbled, lightning flashed and rain fell
from the sky in a measurable amount. The soil even stayed wet for more than 20
minutes! The reality is that it was only 1/4" of rain, so not enough to
make a significant difference for established crops, but the crops that we
re-sowed late last week will greatly benefit from it, even more so if we get
some more later this week. It also made a big difference in the attitudes of
the farmers and crew! The crew has even sworn that if it ever rains again, they
won't even complain about it… we'll see how that pans out as it looks like we
will be harvesting for today's CSA delivery
in the rain.

So what else have we been up
to, besides praying for rain? The past week has been mostly about weeding and
harvesting (isn't this what most of our weeks are all about?) We are at the
height of the fruit harvesting season and even though most of our fruit trees
are quite young, some few are of production age. This year for the first time
we harvested Asian pears, Whitney crabapples, pawpaws and Wealthy apples (from
a new tree) though most of these produced less than a dozen fruits, it was
still exciting. From some more established trees we are now harvesting white Iowa peaches, pears and Wealthy apples. The peaches and
apples, while numerous for one household still didn't produce enough to supply
the CSA, however the pears are another story. We have 2 young
Bartlett pear trees and this year they went all out!So while it isn't enough to can or make a
pie, we wanted to share a little taste with everyone. We hope you enjoy this tasty
little treat and we will all look forward to more fruit in the years ahead.

We also spent time this week
re-sowing some of the fall crops that didn't germinate well due to the heat and
lack of rain. These crops include beets, turnips, spinach and salad. We are
hopeful that this rain will help speed them along to production.

So now let's go back to the
weather, what does this recent change in the weather mean for the farm? Well, a
few things. The first is that the fall crops now have a chance of actually
producing something before the end of the season. They love these cooler
temperatures and the rain will make a real difference. The change will mean
something else for the warm-weather crops. Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and
basil are not so fond of the cooler temps. This will slow down their ripening
and with the tomatoes, it will begin to dull their flavors. Basil is super
sensitive to cold, and we are seeing a little leaf discoloration on some of it.
The flavor is still fine, but it isn't as pretty and vibrant green as before. So
what does that mean for you? You will likely start seeing smaller numbers of
these items in each delivery and especially with the tomatoes, you will taste
the difference. Our best suggestion is to start using them in cooked recipes
which will really bring out their flavor, rather than fresh eating. We think
they are still better than the standard grocery store tomato, but their best
qualities are changing.

And finally, a little note of
novelty. A couple of weeks ago we shared that we were the recipients of a fuzzy
little black rooster who's crowing had outlawed him from his city home. Well,
it turns out that that rooster had 2 more brothers in that little flock of
four, who were also banished to the country when their crowing indicated that
they weren't likely to produce eggs. So now BGF is the host to a small and
exclusive Home for Wayward Fluffy Roosters. Our little black "Darth
Vader" now has bronze "Alexander" and white "Sally"
(or Sully) to keep him in crowing company. Mornings are like Roosterpalooza
around here!

Farm Crawl
is Sunday, October 6th from 11am-5pm. Details can be found at www.farmcrawl.com

Every year we invite CSA members not only to come out and tour the farms, but also to be part
of the BGF team. So here is your chance for 2012. In the past,
individuals/families have helped out with greeting visitors, sharing
information, helping out at the chickens, parking and other various tasks. And,
even better, you can still "Do the Crawl"! We are asking for
volunteers to come for a 2 hour shift, so there is still time to visit the
other farms. If you (and/or your family) would be interested in helping out at
the farm please let us know.

A little detail on your produce this week:

Pears: These fruits are all ready to be eaten, depending on how soft you like
your pears. They will continue to ripen in the days ahead, refrigerate to slow
the process, leave on the counter to speed it up. Test for ripeness by gently
squeezing and by color (light green is more crispy, yellow is juicy and
succulent).

Is a weekly
newsletter not enough for you and you want to read more about our daily
adventures or see pictures of the farm?Follow
us at our blog at http://beyondthebluegate.blogspot.com/
and on Facebook (just search Blue Gate Farm) and “Like” us.

That’s about it
this week, if you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know.

Best from the farm,

Jill & Sean (and Blue & Luci)

Roasted Potatoes with Tomatoes, Basil, and Garlic

Servings: 8

2 pounds red potatoes,
chopped

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh
tomatoes

3 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil

3 cloves
garlic, pressed

1
teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
(200 degrees C).

In a baking dish, toss the
potatoes, tomatoes and garlic with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the rosemary.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes in the
preheated oven, turning occasionally, until tender.

Place cranberries in small
bowl; add balsamic vinegar, seasoned rice vinegar, honey oil and salt and allow
to soak several hours (overnight is even better).

Place kale in a large bowl,
add cranberry mixture and toss to coat. Let marinate 20 minutes at room
temperature, tossing occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with cheese shavings and sunflower seeds just before serving.